What Are the Origins of Soccer's Red and Yellow Cards?

Referees brandishing red and yellow cards are as much a part of soccer as sliding tackles, diving saves and spectacular goals. Yet the game's most recognizable disciplinary tools didn't debut until the 1970 FIFA World Cup—107 years after the formation of the world's first governing body for the sport and 40 years after the first World Cup in 1930. 

Although officials, coaches and managers had spent decades asking for clarity over dismissals and cautions, it took one of the World Cup’s most chaotic encounters—and a set of traffic lights—for soccer officials to finally do something.

When the inaugural season of the English football league kicked off in 1888, officiating was very different. According to the BBC, the referee was more of a timekeeper, while each team had their own umpire who would intervene when they thought there had been a foul. If the umpires disagreed over a foul, the referee would serve as the arbitrator. 

In 1891, single referees started to officiate games. Referees would verbally warn players after fouls and then send them off the field for persistent rule violations, says Clemente Lisi, author of A History of the World Cup.  “There was really no other way to caution them than verbally.”

After warning players, referees would write their names down in a notebook. Managers would only be informed who was cautioned after the game, adds Lisi. “In real time, people were really unaware of what was happening. Spectators wouldn’t know what was happening, because—like today—referees would talk to the players but not necessarily caution them.”

Despite the obvious confusion this created for players, managers and spectators, it still took over seven decades for changes to be made so that cautions could be “signaled to a large group of people,” says Lisi. 

Soccer had become increasingly violent in the 1950s and '60s, which intensified the call for disciplinary action. Chile’s 2-0 victory over Italy during the 1962 World Cup was so ferocious that it’s now known as the Battle of Santiago. Referee Ken Aston sent two players off in the match, numerous punches were thrown, a player had his nose broken and police intervention was required to keep the athletes at bay.

“Even at the World Cup in 1966 there were some brutal games,” says Richard Foster, author of World Cup Nuggets. “Pelé was fouled so often that he had to miss the game against Hungary and was injured against Portugal in their final game.”

While not violent, England and Argentina’s quarterfinal match on July 23, 1966, was a turning point for the sport. In the 35th minute, the German referee Rudolf Kreitlein ordered Argentine captain Antonio Rattín off the pitch. “Rattín basically disagreed with how Kreitlein was refereeing the match. There was a lot of to-ing and fro-ing, and eventually the referee ordered him off,” explains Foster. It’s believed that Kreitlein sent Rattín off because he interpreted his passionate pleas in Spanish—a language he didn’t speak—as aggressive. 

But Rattín did not immediately understand that he had been sent off the field, adds Lisi. Rattín stayed on the pitch for somewhere between 7 and 10 minutes, arguing with the officials. Foster says there were even reports that the police had to escort him off the field, although he notes there is little evidence of that. 

"I know that he did grab the corner flag when he was sent off and yanked it,” says Foster. “The England fans then gave him some flack, and Rattín apparently shouted at a Shetland pony as he walked off.”

During the same game, England’s Bobby Charlton and Jack Charlton were unsure if their names had been written down, and couldn’t get clarification as the German referee didn’t speak English. “English wasn’t considered the universal language at the time so oftentimes there was miscommunication between the referee and players,” says Lisi.

The 1966 World Cup was also the first to be broadcast live internationally, which meant more people than ever were exposed to soccer. “Having such a confusing moment for the people watching at home on the global stage was embarrassing for FIFA. Especially since it was already occurring on a semi-regular basis,” explains Lisi.

While Aston didn’t referee the 1966 match between England and Argentina, he was employed as the head of the tournament's referees. “He knew that it shouldn’t take so long for a player to get off the pitch,” says Foster. “He also knew that the Charlton brothers didn’t know if they’d been booked.” England manager Alf Ramsey even contacted FIFA for clarification after the match. 

As he drove back from the game at Wembley, Aston stopped on Kensington High Street and stared at the traffic lights. That’s when he came up with the idea of having referees use colors to represent cautions. “He saw red as naughty, yellow as quite naughty,” continues Foster. “He suggested it to FIFA and they immediately saw that it was a good idea." Yellow would come to signify a caution, while red meant a player was sent off.

Red and yellow cards would be introduced at the 1970 World Cup and were an instant success. “It was a simple and effective way that everyone around the world could immediately understand. The cards created so much clarity,” says Lisi. 

The 1970 World Cup was also the first World Cup shown on color televisions, which allowed global audiences to follow the actions more clearly. “The advent of television and people watching at home really helped to force the issue,” says Lisi. 

However, there weren’t actually any red cards shown in the 1970 World Cup. The first World Cup red card was given in 1974, when Chile’s Carlos Caszely was sent off against Germany. Over the years, red cards issued to players like Cameroon’s Benjamin Massing in 1990, England’s David Beckham in 1998 and France’s Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 World Cup final are so etched in soccer history that they’re just as famous as some of the sport’s most impressive goals. 

The introduction of red and yellow cards also impacted the style of the game. Diving became more prominent, says Lisi, as players looked to highlight a foul to the referee. But it’s also made the game much less vicious. In the 1950s and '60s, players like Brian Clough, Luigi Riva and Marco van Basten all suffered career-threatening injuries because of hard tackles. 

“Cards forced referees to stamp out violent aspects of the game,” Lisi adds. “Now, players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi can play for 25 years at the highest level until they’re in their early 40s. That would never have happened 30 years ago, and that can be traced back to the enforcement of yellow and red cards.”